Hi Folks,
As some of you might know, I write for a newspaper. This week, I did an article on boat winterization (specifically, E10 gas issues, etc.). I interviewed my mechanic for the article, and I just wanted to post it here. For anyone looking for a good marine mechanic, give Al a call at Lightning Jack's III marina. Great guy in general, very honest and reliable, and gets the job done quickly.
This article appears in this week's edition of The Coast Star, and probably The Ocean Star as well.
A warm fall means winter maintenance for area boaters
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By Daniel Nee
In what seemed like one last gasp of summer, the mercury rose to nearly 75-degrees by 11 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day. And, appropriately for an area such as the Jersey Shore, where some say that summer never ends, one could have mistaken Thanksgiving for Memorial Day by looking out over the Manasquan River.
Boaters took to the river in droves as a warm sun burned away a summer-like haze brewed by the mixture of the warm air and the river’s chilly waters. A sizable number of anglers exchanged their turkey basters and potato peelers for rods and reels, hoping to score a striped bass to eat once the day’s leftovers were long gone.
Some local marinas, no doubt responding to the proliferation of winter fishing opportunities off the Jersey Shore that have emerged following the construction of inshore reefs and the rebuilding of fish stocks, allow boaters to remain in the water later than before.
In Belmar, boaters can pay a discounted rate of $20 per foot to keep their boats at the Belmar Marina from Dec. 1 through March 31. In Manasquan, the borough allows those who rent slips at the town’s numerous municipal docks to simply leave their boats in the water until the next spring.
“They can keep them year round,” said Penny Hamilton, Manasquan’s deputy municipal clerk, explaining that the town realizes many boaters like to leave their boats in the water late into the fall and winter.
“When I ride by, it’s amazing to see how many [boats] there are still there,” Ms. Hamilton added.
As quickly as the warm weather came last week, however, it left. By sunset Thanksgiving Day, temperatures in the mid-40s had taken over, and by Friday morning, any water left in the bilges of the Thanksgiving fleet had turned to ice. Winter had begun to knock on the door of the Jersey Shore, once and for all.
As the unofficial long weekend drew on, the same group of boaters who were motoring through the Manasquan Inlet on Thanksgiving morning were collectively coming to the realization that it might be time to hitch up the trailer and prepare their boats to be stored away on dry land for a long winter’s nap.
But before dragging out the tarps from the garage or visiting a retailer to purchase a shrink wrap kit, boaters should be aware of steps they can take to make sure their engine starts up on the first turn of the key next spring.
The most important measure boaters can take is making sure no water is left inside their boat’s engines, according to mechanic Al Mogavero, of East Coast Marine Repair, located at Lightning Jack’s III Manasquan River Marina, 505 Ridge Road, Brick Township, on the upper portion of the river near the border of Brick Township and Wall Township.
“For an inboard-outboard [stern drive] engine, you must drain the block,” he said. “You have to pull the drain plugs out of the block and poke in there with a small screwdriver to make sure you get the block drained,” he added. If water is left inside the engine, it can freeze and expand over the winter, cracking the engine block, and requiring a brand-new engine come spring.
Outboard engines are self-bailing, but water is still a concern, Mr. Mogavero said. For outboards, “the main thing is keeping the motor in the full-down position,” he said, or “water will stay in the block and it will crack.”
“If you have [an outboard] on a tilt, rain water will wind up lying in the bering carrier behind the prop, and it will wind up cracking the lower unit,” he added.
Another concern of boaters storing their vessels for the winter is saving the fuel in the boat’s tank. Unlike cars, it is common for boats to store in excess of 40 gallons of fuel, so simply “using up” the fuel or draining it is not an option. In fact, leaving a fuel tank empty all winter long can lead to corrosion.
In New Jersey, gasoline is sold with a 10 percent mixture of ethanol, an alcohol-based fuel additive made from corn. Ethanol, unlike the previous fuel additive used in New Jersey —— Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether [MTBE] —— attracts water. Since fuel tanks in boats are vented, the ethanol present in the gasoline can “phase separate,” or form a layer of water underneath the fuel. Phase separation can lead to significant engine problems in the spring.
The best way to avoid fuel issues is to fill the boat’s fuel tank to at least two-thirds so there is less room for the fuel to separate, said Mr. Mogavero. Adding a fuel stabilizer, such as Gold Eagle’s Sta-Bil, and a fuel additive, such as Star Brite’s StarTron, can save the fuel’s octane over the off-season and help present phase separation.
“The secret with the Sta-Bil is to add it to a gallon of gas, shake it up and then put it into your fuel tank,” said Mr. Mogavero. “People add that stuff in there, and it doesn’t mix in with the rest of the fuel. It will just lie in the fuel tank.”
He suggested adding the stabilizers and additives before the last run of the season, so it will “bounce around” in the tank and mix with the fuel. Additionally, said Mr. Mogavero, customers who own gasoline engines should consider purchasing the diesel StarTron formula, since it contains the same formula, but double the amount of additives per bottle. In general, he said, double the amount of additives should be added to the fuel for winter storage than for general use.
Jersey Shore residents taking their boats to Florida for the winter face additional fuel issues. Florida’s fuel — at least for the time being — still contains MTBE. If gasoline containing ethanol is mixed with gasoline containing MTBE, the fuel can gel, leading to significant fuel tank and engine problems. For customers transporting their boats to Florida, or any other state which still uses MTBE, Mr. Mogavero suggested adding StarTron and using up the fuel as quickly as possible.
Outboard engine owners should also remember to check their gear oil, usually located behind a large screw on the side of the lower unit, above the propeller. After removing the screw, the oil should begin to drip out. If the oil is milky, that means water is mixed with the gear oil.
“If you have any water in the gearcase, it will separate from the oil, freeze and crack the lower unit,” he said. “Even if you’re not changing the gear lube, at least check it. If it’s milky, then drain it and change it.”
Mr. Mogavero said those who find water mixed with their gearcase oil should see a mechanic to find the cause of the water intrusion.
After the water is drained and the fuel is stabilized, outboard owners should consider spraying “fogging oil” into the engine’s carburetor or cylinder chambers to coat the inside of the engine and prevent corrosion. Boaters can consult their engine’s manual for specifics on how to fog their individual engine.
For Mr. Mogavero, and countless other mechanics in the northeast, the fall is one of the busiest seasons. But if boaters follow his advice and prepare their engines to be stored for the off-season, he might be in for some down time come spring.
